Dhaka: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul is reluctant to put extra pressure on the cricketers despite the performance graph took a huge nosedive. The Bangladesh national team, currently on tour in Pakistan, is set to play the third and final T20 match against the hosts tonight, aiming to avoid a whitewash after losing the series.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, earlier defeats, including a surprising 2-1 loss to ICC associate nation United Arab Emirates (UAE), have caused significant concern back home. However, Aminul Islam Bulbul emphasized a supportive approach rather than adding pressure. ‘We haven’t spoken to the cricketers yet. Our Vice President Nazmul Abedeen Fahim is there (in Pakistan) with the team and we have spoken to him. We are trying not to put any extra pressure on the cricketers,’ Aminul told reporters following a meeting with Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan.
The meeting marked Aminul’s first with the adviser after assuming the role of BCB president recently. Aminul, a former skipper of Bangladesh, explained, ‘My job is not to talk to the cricketers, my job is to talk to the directors. I will definitely speak when necessary. It’s not better to talk to the cricketers in the midst of a series.’ He highlighted the natural fluctuations in cricket performance, stating, ‘The graph always goes up and down in cricket. It is not just in Bangladesh cricket, but everywhere.’
Aminul, noted as the first Test centurion of Bangladesh, has taken charge as the 17th president of the BCB. Soon after assuming his role, he delivered a presentation during a board of directors meeting, outlining his plans for improvement.
BCB’s media and communication committee chairman Iftekhar Rahman Mithu highlighted a key outcome from the meeting: a decision to decentralize cricket operations in Bangladesh. The initiative will start with two pilot projects in the northern and southern regions of the country, where BCB will establish offices. Mithu described it as a fresh beginning and stated, “We will kick off this project immediately. There are also plans to develop coaches, umpires, and curators through talent hunts and training initiatives.”